When a Child “Flips Their Lid”: What Teachers Often Miss
When a child reacted strongly to discovering her usual teaching assistant was absent, the behaviour was seen as defiance. But what teachers witnessed was actually the result of a nervous system response known as “flipping your lid.” Understanding the brain behind the behaviour can completely change how schools respond.
When Support Becomes Dependence: The Hidden Risk of 1-to-1 Teaching Assistant Support
1-to-1 Teaching Assistant support can help children cope in the classroom, but what happens when that support becomes dependence? This blog explores how relying on one adult can unintentionally prevent children from developing flexible thinking and independence, and why schools need to balance support with skill building.
Executive Functioning in SEND Reform: The Part That Finally Makes Sense
SEND reform is beginning to recognise executive functioning as central to learning. Understanding how regulation and development underpin these skills may be key to reducing escalation and supporting children earlier in education.
Why Behaviour Management Fails When the Skills for Emotional Intelligence Haven’t Been Built Yet
Behaviour management often assumes children can regulate emotions and make better choices. But emotional intelligence depends on underlying brain development. For many autistic children and those with ADHD or SEND, behaviour reflects overwhelmed capacity — not defiance. This article explores why skills must be built before behaviour can change.
Why Are We Linking Autism to Intelligence?
When did autism become linked to intelligence? Autism describes how the brain processes the world — not cognitive ability. Here’s why that distinction matters.
Addiction and the Search for “Normal”
Addiction is often misunderstood as a lack of willpower. This blog explores how dopamine, regulation, and nervous system needs can make addiction risk higher if you’re autistic or ADHD — and why it’s often about escaping a low, not chasing a high.
“They Were Fine Until the TA Left”: Understanding Attachment in Autism and ADHD
When a trusted adult leaves school, some children seem to fall apart overnight. This blog explains why, if you are autistic or ADHD, safety and predictability matter more than people realise.
When Flexible Thinking Causes Family Clashes
In a busy household, plans change constantly — and that’s exactly where clashes can start. This blog explains flexible thinking (cognitive flexibility), why it’s hard for ADHD and autistic brains, and how small changes become big rows.
“The Thoughts You Don’t Want: A Gentle Look at OCD and the Mind”
OCD isn’t about being tidy. It’s often about frightening, unwanted intrusive thoughts and the desperate need to feel certain and safe. This blog explains what intrusive thoughts are and how to respond gently.
Why Strengthening Executive Function Skills is a Game-Changer for Autistic & ADHD Brains
If mornings feel like juggling jelly, executive functions might be the missing piece. This blog explains the brain’s “air traffic control” system and why strengthening it is a game-changer for autistic and ADHD daily life.
Why Do I Think Like This? - Suicidal Thoughts, Autism, ADHD and the Pain of Feeling Constantly Criticised
If you feel like you’re always getting it wrong, constantly judged, or stuck in shame, you’re not broken. This blog explains how autism, ADHD and criticism sensitivity can create painful thought loops — and what can help.
Why Those Who Are Autistic or ADHD Are So Often Labelled “Manipulative
Being labelled “manipulative” can be deeply harmful for autistic and ADHD people. What looks like manipulation is often anxiety, overwhelm, and a need for safety — not bad intent.
The ADHD spiral loop - When your brain won’t switch off, and you start believing you’re failing
When life gets heavy, many adults with ADHD fall into a predictable spiral: pressure triggers worst-case thinking, emotions flood in, overthinking takes over, and the brain flips into avoidance or overdrive—followed by shame. This post helps you recognise the ADHD spiral loop and understand why it isn’t laziness or selfishness.
We Are Spending Millions on SEN – But Are Children Actually Learning?
Following a Westminster debate on children’s services, one question is missing: are children actually learning? If the environment doesn’t engage the brain, no amount of SEN funding will make learning happen.
It’s Not Bad Behaviour — It’s an Undeveloped Skill
Schools are still punishing autistic and ADHD children for behaviours caused by undeveloped skills. This blog explains why that approach is harmful — and how misunderstanding neurodivergence is damaging children’s self-esteem, safety, and education.
When Everything Feels Personal: Understanding Criticism Sensitivity from Childhood Onwards
Many children and adults grow up feeling that everything is personal. This piece explores criticism sensitivity, how it develops in neurodivergent people, and why it often begins in childhood.
Why Emotional Regulation Is Harder When You’re Autistic or You’re ADHD – and Why Waiting Matters
If you’re autistic or you’re ADHD, emotional regulation can feel overwhelming. This blog explains how inhibitory control develops through waiting, why modern life removes that practice, and why this impacts autistic and ADHD brains more.
Why ‘No Evidence for Neurodevelopmental or ADHD Screening’ Isn’t the Same as ‘What’s Best for Children’
The Government has confirmed it will not support neurodevelopmental or ADHD screening for children, citing a lack of evidence. While early intervention is repeatedly acknowledged as essential, current pathways continue to rely on children reaching crisis before support begins. This blog explores the risks of delayed identification, the difference between screening and diagnosis, and what this decision means in real life for children and families.
The Four-Tier System: When Support Comes Too Late
The four-tier system is being discussed as a form of early intervention in SEND support. But many children don’t struggle early. Some cope through primary school and only begin to struggle later, often in secondary school when demands increase sharply. A system that requires children to move slowly through tiers risks delaying help until real damage has already been done. This blog explores why waiting for repeated failure is not early intervention — and why parents need to understand what may be coming.
